Control unit for controlling an automatic shut-off and/or start-up process of a vehicle power plant

Abstract

A control unit and method are provided for controlling an automatic shut-off process of a vehicle power plant in a motor vehicle, wherein the control unit emits a shut-off signal for initiating corresponding shut-off measures for automatically shutting off the vehicle power plant, when predetermined shut-off request conditions are fulfilled, and no predetermined shut-off inhibiting condition is fulfilled. The control unit sends to a memory unit a memory signal for storing at least one memory entry, allocated to a shut-off inhibiting condition, when predetermined conditions are fulfilled. In an analogous manner, a control unit and method are designed for controlling an automatic start-up process.

1. An apparatus for controlling an automatic shut-off process of a vehicle power plant in a motor vehicle, comprising:
 a control unit operatively configured to emit a shut-off signal for initiating corresponding shut-off measures for automatically shutting-off the vehicle power plant, when predetermined shut-off request conditions are fulfilled, and no predetermined shut-off inhibiting condition is fulfilled; and 
 a memory unit; 
 wherein the control unit is operatively configured to emit a memory signal for storing at least one memory entry allocated to a shut-off inhibiting condition in the memory unit when predetermined conditions are fulfilled. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein for each shut-off inhibiting condition, a memory signal allocated to the respective shut-off inhibiting condition is triggered and, in response to each said memory signal, a respective memory entry allocated to the shut-off inhibiting condition is made in the memory unit. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit emits the memory signal to the memory unit as an active signal when, in addition to all predetermined shut-off request conditions being fulfilled, at least one predetermined shut-off inhibiting condition is fulfilled. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein, in response to the active signal, recorded in the memory unit is at least one of the following memory entries:
 a) a first memory entry, reproducing a state of the shut-off inhibiting condition; 
 b) a first odometer reading of the motor vehicle that is current at a time that the active signal is emitted; and 
 c) a second odometer reading of the motor vehicle that is current at the time that the active signal is terminated. 
 
     
     
       5. The apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the memory entry made in response to the active signal is rewritable. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus according to  claim 4 , further comprising a counter unit, wherein in response to the active signal sent to the memory unit, the counter unit assigned to a corresponding shut-off inhibiting condition is increased. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the memory entry made in response to the active signal is rewritable. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus according to  claim 7 , further comprising a counter unit, wherein in response to the active signal sent to the memory unit, the counter unit assigned to a corresponding shut-off inhibiting condition is increased. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus according to  claim 3 , further comprising a counter unit, wherein in response to the active signal sent to the memory unit, the counter unit assigned to a corresponding shut-off inhibiting condition is increased. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein a memory entry is made in the memory unit in response to the active signal only if the vehicle power plant is not automatically shut-off. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the following shut-off inhibiting conditions triggers a memory signal when satisfied:
 a) a first shut-off inhibiting condition based on a state of an air conditioning system, 
 b) a second shut-off inhibiting condition based on a state of a power management system, 
 c) a third shut-off inhibiting condition based on a load on an activated charcoal filter, 
 d) a fourth shut-off inhibiting condition based on a brake pressure of a brake system or a vacuum brake system, 
 e) a fifth shut-off inhibiting condition based on a temperature of the vehicle power plant, 
 f) a sixth shut-off inhibiting condition based on a temperature of a catalyst or an additional component of the vehicle power plant, 
 g) a seventh shut-off inhibiting condition based on one or more motor-specific states of the vehicle power plant, 
 h) an eighth shut-off inhibiting condition based on a fill level of a fuel tank or on fill levels of other components of the vehicle power plant, 
 i) a ninth shut-off inhibiting condition based on a current outside air temperature or other current environmental conditions, 
 j) a tenth shut-off inhibiting condition based on one or more currently active adaptive processes and/or active vehicle functions or other active software functionalities in an interconnected network group of the vehicle, 
 k) an eleventh shut-off inhibiting condition based on one or more predetermined vehicle states, and 
 l) a twelfth shut-off inhibiting condition based on a system deactivation condition. 
 
     
     
       12. A method for controlling an automatic shut-off process of a vehicle power plant in a motor vehicle, the method comprising the acts of:
 determining when predetermined shut-off request conditions are fulfilled; 
 determining whether one or more of predetermined shut-off inhibiting conditions are fulfilled; and 
 issuing, by a control unit, a signal for storing at least one memory entry in a memory unit, the at least one memory entry being allocated to a respective predetermined shut-off inhibiting condition that was fulfilled, when the predetermined shut-off request conditions are fulfilled. 
 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the memory signal issued by the control unit is an active signal. 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 13 , wherein, in response to the active signal, at least one of the following memory entries is stored in the memory unit:
 a first memory entry reproducing a state of the shut-off inhibiting condition; 
 a first odometer reading of the motor vehicle current at a time that the active signal is emitted; and 
 a second odometer reading of the motor vehicle current at a time that the active signal is terminated. 
 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising the act of increasing a counter signal assigned to the corresponding shut-off inhibiting condition in response to the active signal. 
     
     
       16. The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the act of issuing the signal is carried out when at least one of the following shut-off inhibiting conditions is fulfilled:
 a) a first shut-off inhibiting condition based on a state of an air conditioning system, 
 b) a second shut-off inhibiting condition based on a state of a power management system, 
 c) a third shut-off inhibiting condition based on a load on an activated charcoal filter, 
 d) a fourth shut-off inhibiting condition based on a brake pressure of a brake system or a vacuum brake system, 
 e) a fifth shut-off inhibiting condition based on a temperature of the vehicle power plant, 
 f) a sixth shut-off inhibiting condition based on a temperature of a catalyst or an additional component of the vehicle power plant, 
 g) a seventh shut-off inhibiting condition based on one or more motor-specific states of the vehicle power plant, 
 h) an eighth shut-off inhibiting condition based on a fill level of a fuel tank or on fill levels of other components of the vehicle power plant, 
 i) a ninth shut-off inhibiting condition based on a current outside air temperature or other current environmental conditions, 
 j) a tenth shut-off inhibiting condition based on one or more currently active adaptive processes and/or active vehicle functions or other active software functionalities in an interconnected network group of the vehicle, 
 k) an eleventh shut-off inhibiting condition based on one or more predetermined vehicle states, and 
 l) a twelfth shut-off inhibiting condition based on a system deactivation condition. 
 
     
     
       17. An apparatus for controlling an automatic start-up process of a vehicle power plant in a motor vehicle, comprising:
 a control unit operatively configured to emit a start-up signal for initiating corresponding start-up measures for automatically starting the vehicle power plant, when predetermined start-up request conditions are fulfilled, and no predetermined start-up inhibiting condition is fulfilled; and 
 a memory unit; 
 wherein the control unit is operatively configured to emit a memory signal for storing at least one memory entry allocated to a start-up inhibiting condition in the memory unit when predetermined conditions are fulfilled. 
 
     
     
       18. A method for controlling an automatic start-up process of a vehicle power plant in a motor vehicle, the method comprising the acts of:
 determining when predetermined start-up request conditions are fulfilled; 
 determining whether one or more of predetermined start-up inhibiting conditions are fulfilled; and 
 issuing, by a control unit, a signal for storing at least one memory entry in a memory unit, the at least one memory entry being allocated to a respective predetermined start-up inhibiting condition that was fulfilled, when the predetermined start-up request conditions are fulfilled.